TED-Ed: The continents are moving. When will they collide? | Jean-Baptiste P. Koehl

The video explores Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift, which challenged the belief that continents were static. It laid the groundwork for plate tectonics, explaining how Earth's crust is divided into moving plates. Geologists use magnetic fields and fossils to trace plate movements, revealing patterns like the Wilson cycle, which predicts future supercontinents. These movements can cause environmental changes, such as the snowball Earth event. Future supercontinents may release greenhouse gases, but innovative solutions like carbon storage in basalt could mitigate these effects.

Who proposed the theory that continents were once part of a single landmass?

• Alfred Wegener

• Isaac Newton

• Marie Curie

• Charles Darwin

What is a major limitation of using magnetic data to trace continental movements?

• It is too expensive

• It cannot determine longitude

• It only works in the Southern Hemisphere

• It requires satellite technology

What is the Wilson cycle?

• A method to measure Earth's magnetic field

• A cycle predicting how continents diverge and reassemble

• A process of carbon storage in basalt

• A theory about volcanic eruptions

What environmental event occurred when the Rodinia supercontinent broke up?

• A massive volcanic eruption

• The formation of the Atlantic Ocean

• A period called snowball Earth

• The extinction of dinosaurs

What innovative solution is being tested to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions?

• Using solar panels

• Planting more trees

• Building higher sea walls

• Storing carbon in basalt